Binder for loose-leaf books



' June 27, 1933.

C. R. STEVENS BINDER FOR LOOSE LEAF BOOKS Filed NOV. 3, 1932 ln/uente ma Zij/ww Patented .lune 2'?, 1933 @HCE CARLTON R. STEVENS, GF 'WATERBURY, UGITNCTCUT, ASSGNOR T THE WATER- BURY BRSS GGODS CGRRATON, GT3 J TERBRY, CONNECTCUT, A CORPORA- BEHEER FOR LOOSE-LEAF BOKS Application filed November This invention relates to new and useful improvements in binders for loose-leal3 books.

An object of the invention is to provide ablinder for loose-leatl boolis and which binder comprises a pair of telescoping members and means whereby said members may be easily and quickly secured in any desired position of longitudinal adjustment.

Another object is to provide a binder including' an elongated hollow eyelet having a head at one end, a rod slidable into and out of said eyelet and having a head at one end, and said rod at its other end having a cam means to loch with the inner wall oi the eyelet on relative turning of the rod and eyelet while they are telescoped whereby to secure the rod and eyelet together against relative longitudinal movement.

A further ohject is to provide a binder which may be easily and quickly opened to permit of the insertion ot additional leaves into a book and easily and quickly-closed and adjusted to the desired length and locked in said adjusted position, and which binder includes but a minimum number of parts.

@ther objects and advantages will become apparent from a. consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as tall within the spirit of the invention and the scope ot the appended claims.

ln the drawing:

Fig. l is an edge View showing a pair of book covers connected by binders constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of the rod member of the binder, a locking means thereon being shown in section;

Fig. 4iis a detail sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, on

an enlarged scale, showing the eyelet member of the binder.

Referring in detail to the drawing, at 6 and respectively are shown the upper and lower overs of a bool; and which covers may be of any suitable construction and configuration. They are shown as comprising a relatively narrow end portion having a stiening element 5 spaced a short distance from the stiiieners l in main portions or' 'the covers. Y ese stilleners are covered by the flexible linishino' material 3, such for example as cloth, which at the gap between the stilieners tc in hinge portions 2 on which the body portions of the cover may be swung in the usual manner. These covers are detachably connected by my improved binders generally designated 8 and any desired number ot' which may be employed, the number of binders depending on the size of the covers.

Binder 8 includes an elongated eyelet 9 passed through the lower cover member 7 and having a head l0 disposed against the outer surface of said cover.' As here shown the eyelet 9 is open at both of its ends although as the description proceeds Iit will become apparent that for the purpose of the present invention the eyelet might be closed at its outer or head end.

Each binder also includes a member or rod il passed through-the upper cover member 6 of the bool; and having' a head l2 disposed at the outer side oit said cover member. This rod ll is slidable into and out of the eyelet 9 and is of such diameter as to have a bearing lit in the eyelet so as to be easily slidable longitudinally or be rotatable therein. Means are provided whereby when the rod and eyelet have been shifted into the desired tele-- scopic relation they may be easily and quiclily secured in such relation and against any relative longitudinal movement.

To this end the rod 1l adjacent its inner end is provided with an annular eccentric groove 18, a reduced eccentric portion ll of' the rod representing the core o1 said groove. Arranged in this groove is a ring l5, which ring may be a split ring, having an eccentric opening therethrough in which opening is received the reduced eccentric portion 14 ol the rod. The relationship of the groove 13, eccentric rod portion 14e and ring 15 is such that when the relatively thick portion of the ring is in the relatively deep portion of the groove the outer surface of the ring lies substantially flush and concentric with the outer surface of the rod and the rod may be easily introduced into and removed fromthe eyelet.

In use the upper cover member 6 of the book with the pins or rods l1 may be removed and then pages added to or removed from -the book, the said pages being perforated to pass over the eyelets 9. Yilhen the operator has finished adding or reino-ving pages the cover 6 is returned to position with its rods 11 telescoped into the respective eyelets. The parts may be pressed tog-ether so that 'the pages of the book will be held as firmly as desired between the covers. TNit-h this accomplished the rods are given a slight rotary movement relative to the eyelets and the rods and eyelets are secured together against any casual relative longitudinal movement- This securing or lockin of the eyelets and rods against relative longitudinal movement results from the fact that asa rod is turned its reduced eccentric portion 14 turns in its ring 15 with the result that the ring will be cammed or pressed against the inner wall of the eyelet so as to bind or clamp the ring and the rod against the eyelet. If desired, the outer surface of the ring may be roughenevd or serrated whereby to have it bite into or grip the wall of the eyelet, but it has been found that for ordinary purposes as the outer surface of the ring engaging the inner surface of the eyeletis considerably greater than its inner surface on the eccentric 14 there is sufficient friction between the ring and the eyelet so that the ring will turn on the eccentric 14 and be clamped against'the eyelet. Also if desired, the ring can be made slightly larger than the internal diameter of the eyelet so that when in the eyelet its resiliency causes it to engage the eyeletwith a slight friction. When it is desired to again move a rod and eyelet relatively longitudinally it is but necessary to give the rod a slight rotary movement in a reverse direction whereby the ring l5 will be released from its clamping engagement with the eyelet 9 and the further desired adjustments may then be made.

The rod 11 may be rotated by grasping its head 12 between the thumb and index finger or the head may be provided with a slot 16 to receive a screw driver or provision may be made for operating the rod by any other suitable tool. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that by means of the binders of the present invention the book may be easily and quickly opened for the insertion of additional leaves or for the removal of leaves and may be as easily and quickly closed and locked closed. When the covers of the book are separated the rings 15 are not lost from the rods and it is not necessary to employ additional tubes or other means for the purpose of maintaining the locking elen'icnt i. e. the ring, in proper association with the rod. .it is also to be noted that each binder comprising the rod and eyelet is entirely independent of any other binder and t is therefore selfcontained and is not dependent for locking operation on any other element or binder. rllhere is therefore no cramping or similarly acting means tending to bend the binders out of positi on or c `ampin between two separate binders as is a feature of some binde ther, it will be seen there no oi'ierating means to be mounted in or on the covers between the binders.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention. what l claim is:

l. ln a binder 'ror loose-leaf booksT an eyelet open at one end7 a rod slidable into and out of said eyelet, said rod adjacent its inner end having an eccentric annular groove whereby the rod includes a reduced eccentric portion, a ring in .said groove and having an eccentric opening receiving the reduced eccentric portion of the rod. and one of said rod and cyelet adapted to be turned relative to the other thereof while they are telescop-ed to cause relativeturningmovement between the ring and the reduced eccentric Lion of the rod and thereby crowd the poriy ring against the eyelet to secure the rod and cyelet together against relative longitudinal movement.

2. ln a binder for loose-leaf books, a tubular eyelet open at one end, a rod slidable into and out of said eyelet, said rod having an annular eccentric groove adjacent its inner end, an eccentric ring in said groove, and said rod adapted to be turned relative to the eyelet to cam said ring against the eyclet to secure the eyelet and rod against relatively longitudinal movement.

3. ln a binder for loose-leaf books, a tubular eyelet open at one end, a rod slidable into and out of said eyelet. said rod adjacent its inner end having an eccentric annular groove whereby the rod has an eccentric cross sectionally circular reduced portion, a ring in said groove and having a circular eccentric opening receiving the reduced portion of the rod. and one of said rod and eyelet adapted to be turned relative to the other thereof while they are telescoped to cause relative turning movement between the ring and the reduced portion of the rod whereby to crowd the ring against the eyelet to secure the rod and eyclet together against relatively longitudinal movement.

l. ln a binder for loose-leaf books7 a tubular eyelet open at one end, a rod slidable into and out of said eyelet, said rod having an annular eccentric groove adjacent its inner end, an eccentric ring in said groove and carried by said rod, and one of said rod and eyelet adapted to be turned relative to the other While they are in telescoped relation to cause relative turning movement between the rod and the ring to press the ring against the eyelet and thereby secure the rod and eyelet together against relative longitudinal movement.

5. ln a binder for loose-leaf books, a tubular eyelet open at one `end and having a head at its other end, a rod slidable into and out of the eyelet and having a head at one end, said rod having an eccentric circular groove providing the rod With a reduced eccentric portion, a ring having an eccentric opening receiving the reduced portion of the rod and substantially filling said groove when the ring and rod are concentric, and said rod adapted to be turned in said ring to dispose the rod eccentric to the ring and crowd the ring against the eyelet to secure the rod and eyelet together against relative longitudinal movement.

6. In a binder for loose-leaf books, a tu bular member, a cylindrical telescoping member having direct engagement with said tubular member, clamping means carried by one of said members, and means operated by relative turning movement between the members to Wedge said rclamping means between the two members and clamp these members in direct engagement to secure them against relative longitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof I amx my signature.

CARLTON R. STEVENS. 

